Finalist 2010

20 March 2014

Caerphilly does it

I felt like apologising to my bottle of Silures as I poured it: eight months in the fridge, six weeks past its best-before. My first Celt Experience experience should have been under more appropriate conditions. What I got was a hazy red-gold pale ale, at a sessionable 4.6% ABV smelling of hard toffee and lavender. The sweetness and old-lady-perfume are there on tasting too, and there's a lasting oily residue deposited on the lips, but it feels like the middle is missing. There's a ghost of citrus fruit and lemon sherbet in the middle, and a lime bite without the lime itself.

Despite the finer points of this beer having departed, it's still pretty enjoyable. That acid bitterness contrasted with sticky malt actually works quite well and is especially surprising given the modest ABV. At the back there are tannins and butterscotch, so maybe the hops were in the way all along.

No, I doubt that too. Sorry, Celt Experience: I'll make sure the next one of yours I try is fresh.

1 comment:

Sounds like your one really had gone awry as I think this is a stunning beer...in fact all Celt are superb for me, particularly the Ogham and the Shapeshifters. Happy to send some across to Ireland for you!